[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14439-14440]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  IN HONOR OF RAMON ``CHUNKY'' SANCHEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JUAN VARGAS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 16, 2016

  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ramon `Chunky' 
Sanchez, an exceptional musician and activist for the community of San 
Diego. Chunky Sanchez passed away on Friday, October 28, 2016, a few 
days before his sixty-fifth birthday.
  Chunky Sanchez was born in 1951 in Blythe, California to Mexican 
immigrant parents. He was a talented musician, who was taught 
traditional Mexican music by his mother and uncles.

[[Page 14440]]

  Chunky Sanchez quickly learned how to sing, play ten different 
instruments, and compose his own music. In 1969 he attended San Diego 
State University on a scholarship and began performing with La Rondalla 
Amerindia de Aztlan, a noted musical group composed of students and 
professors.
  Later, Chunky Sanchez became a vocalist for the folklore group Los 
Alcranes (The Scorpions) which he co-founded along with his brother 
Ricardo. They recorded their first album in 1977. Through his music, he 
would tell the story of the Chicano movement and of the Mexican 
American bi-cultural experience.
  Chunky Sanchez was so well received that labor leader Cesar Chavez 
would often invite him to play at union rallies. Chunky Sanchez was 
also an incredibly active member of the San Diego community. In his 
song `Rising Souls', he sang that we needed to `educate, not 
incarcerate, so that humanity will shine.'
  During his lifetime he embodied these lyrics as he worked with local 
youth as a coach, an educator, a youth center director, and a gang 
intervention counselor. His passion and care for the community garnered 
numerous awards and honors from organizations across California and 
throughout the City of San Diego.
  Chunky Sanchez is best known for his song ``Chicano Park Samba'', 
which narrated the struggle for and successful creation of Chicano Park 
in San Diego. A City Historic Landmark, Chicano Park honors the history 
of the Chicano Mexican people through monumental murals, sculptures, 
earthworks, and an architectural piece.
  Earlier in the 114th Congress, I introduced H.R. 3711, the Chicano 
Park Preservation Act to preserve Chicano Park as part of the National 
Historic system. Coincidentally, this bill is being marked up by the 
House Natural Resources Committee later today. I would like to thank 
Chairman Bishop and Ranking Member Grijalva for supporting this 
legislation. It's a fitting way to honor Ramon `Chunky' Sanchez's 
memory.
  Ramon Chunky Sanchez will be missed by his family--his wife Isabel, 
five children, many grandchildren and the San Diego community.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the lyrics of the Chicano Park 
Samba.


                       Chicano Park Samba Lyrics

Los Alacranes Mojados: Chunky Sanchez, Ricardo Sanchez, Mario Aguilar, 
                        Marco Antonio Rodriguez

     In the year the year 1970, in the city of San Diego, under 
           the Coronado Bridge, lied a little piece of land, a 
           piece of land that the community of Logan Heights 
           wanted to make into a park . . .
     A park where all the chavalitos could play in so they 
           wouldn't have to play in the street and get run over by 
           a car . . .
     a park where all the viejitos could come and just sit down 
           and watch the sun go down in the tarde . . .
     a park where all the familias could come and just get 
           together on a Sunday afternoon and celebrate the spirit 
           of life itself.
     But the city of San Diego said, ``Chale. We're going to make 
           a highway patrol substation here, man.''
     So on April 22nd, 1970, la raza of Logan Heights and other 
           Chicano communities of San Diego got together, and they 
           organized . . .
     and they walked on the land, and they took it over with their 
           picks and their shovels and they began to build their 
           park.
     And today, that little piece of land under the Coronado 
           Bridge is known to everybody . . . as Chicano Park . . 
           . Orale!
     It began in 1970, under the Coronado Bridge
     En mi barrio, in San Diego
     Where my people began to fight
     For Chicano Park, for Chicano Park
     Under the bridge, under the bridge, under the bridge . . .
     We shall continue to live my brother,
     We shall continue to fight my friend
     For Chicano Park, under the bridge . . .
     Raza!, Que vivan, que vivan, Los barrios unidos!

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